Apparatus for cleaning automobile wind-shields



lw. M. FOLBERTH.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AUTOMOBILE WIND SHIELDS.

APPLICATION man Avn. 1. |919.

1,309,724. v Patented Jnly 15, 1919.

2 swzm-suur l.l

51A/wanton WILLIAM M. POLBMH,

WILLIAM MITCHEL FOLBEBTH, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

` APPARATUS FOB CLEANING AUTOMOBILE WIND-SHIELDS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 15, 1919.

Application filed April 7, 1919. Serial No. 288,414.

lTo all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. For.-

BERTH, a citizen of thepUnited States, resid-- ing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, 'have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cleaning Automobile Wind-Shields, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus adapted to clean windshields of automobiles, while not necessarily restricted to this use, as it may beused for various other purposes.

An important object of the invention is to provide lapparatus of the above-mentioned character, having means to utilize the suction created in the intake manifold of the engine for causing the cleaning element to be automatically moved in contact with the glass or article to be cleaned.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide apparatus'of the above-mentioned character having a diaphragm which is acted upon by the suction in the intake manifold of the engine, said suction being automatically controlled by valves shifted by the diaphragm.

A further 'obj ect of the invention is to pr0- vide apparatus of the above-mentioned character, which is simple 4in construction, and reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals yare employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical longitudinal section-al view through the same, parts being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a similar view through the apparatus, showing the diaphragm in the elevated position, shifting the valves to the opposite position;

Fig. 4 is a detail section, taken or, the line 4 4 of Fig.3; and

Fig. 5 is a central vertical longitudinal section through apparatus embodying a slightly different form of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates a diaphragm casing as a whole, comprising upper and lower sections 11 and 12, iecelvmg a flexible diaphragm 13 therein, the casing sections and the diaphragm being secured together by bolts 14 or the like. The upper casing section 11 is preferably provided with ears 15, which are bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the frame 10 of a windshield 16 having a section or glass 17 or the like, to be cleaned. f

The lower casing section 12 is provided with a stuiling b'ox 18, receiving a reciprocatory rod 19, having a longitudinal opening 20 formed therein. The upper end of this rod is screw threaded and extends through an opening 21 formed in the diaphragm 13, and engages nuts 22 and 23. The nut 23 has its top closed, as shown, and' is provided with a contracted opening 24 for a purpose to be described. y

The lower portion of the reciprocatory rod 19 is provided with rack teeth 25, engaging a pinion or gear 26, rigidly secured to a rod 27. This rod is journaled within a transverse horizontal Isleeve 28, rigidly se,- cured to a depending arm 29, rigidly secured to the lower casing section 10. To the forward end-of the shaft 27 is secured the head 30 of the cleaner element, this head carrying a flexible blade 31, to contact with the pane of glass 17 to clean the same.

A valve casing 32 is formed upon the upper casing section 11, and embodies chambers 33, 34 and 35. The chambers 33 and 35 are adapted to have communication with each other through a port 36, the ends of which are provided with tapered valve seats 37 and 38. The chamber 34 is adapted for communication with the chambers 33 and 35 through the medium 'of openings 39 and 40, the walls of which are beveled to form Valve seats. The chamber 34 has a port 41, which leads to the atmosphere.

Leading into the port 36 is a port'42, having communication with a pifpe 43, which leads to the intake manifold of the engine.

It is thus seen that suction or vacuum cre- 48 then engaging the seat 39.

diameter than the chamber 36 and a lower valve 47 is secured to the stem 46, for movement therewith. The valve 47 is tapered and operates beneath the valve seat 38, to engage and disengage therewith. The numeral 48 designates a double actin@ valve, having upper and lower tapered tfaces to engage with the valve seats`39 and 40. The valve 48 carries a depending stem 49 pivoted to ahorizontal bar 50, the o posite end of which is pivoted to the valve 4 as shown. The valve 48 and' its stem are preferably of substantially the same weight as the valves 45 and 47 and their stem, so that the bar 50"i is retained more or less horizontal. 4'Ihese valves are preferably constructed comparatively light. 'The bar 50 has pivotal connection with a link 51, as shown at 52, and this link 51 carries a head 52, operating within the opening 24, and adapted to Contact with the nut 23, when the diaphragm 13 is moved to the end of its downward travel.

The operation ofthe apparatus is as follows:

lVhen the valve `(not shown) connected with the pipe 43 is open, the suction from the intake manifold of the engine is transmitted by the pipe 43 to the portI 36. With the valves shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2, the suction is transmitted into the diaphragm casing above the diaphragm while the space beneath the diaphragm is in communication with the atmosphere through pipe 44, chamber 33, and port 41. The suction above the diaphragm causes the same to rise, and this upward movement continues until the nut 23 contacts with the bar 50,

serving to elevate the same, and while valve 45 is unseated and Valve 47 seated, the valve The diaphragm casing above the diaphragm 13 is now placed in communication with the atmosphere, through the port 40 and port 41, while the pipe 43 is placed in Communication with the lower portion of the diaphragm casing, beneath the diaphragm, such communication being established through ports 42, chamber 33, and pipe 44. It is obvlous that the suction is now applied to the lower side of the diaphragm which descends. The valves remain in the upper position, as the suction is operating upon the valves 47 and 48, and this raised position is maintained until the ring 23 contacts with the vhead 52, the' valves being again shifted to the lower position. The diaphragm 13 will then begin to rise as above explained. l

In Fig. 5, I have shown a different form of apparatus, wherein thev diaphragm is moved downwardly by means ofa spring. This apparatus comprises a diaphragm casing 53 having a diaphragm 54 operating therein.. A tubular rod 55 1s connected with the diaphragm and extends to the exterior of the casing, within a-guide 56. The upper ioegaa a cap-nut 58 has screw threaded engagement with the upper end and contacts with the diaphragm 55, clamping it to the fiange 57.

The rod 55 is provided with rack teeth 59, engaging y a gear 60, rigidly secured to a transverse shaft 61, carrying a cleaning device 62, lto contact with the glass of the windshield.,

' The upper portion ofthe diaphragm casing is equipped with ears 63 to be secured to the frame 64 of the windshield and a valve casing 65 is formed upon the diaphragm casing.

rilhe numeral 66 designates a pipe, connected with the intake manifold of the engine to receive the vacuum or suction therefrom and this valve leads into a port 67 discharging into a chamber 68, having a tapered valve seat 69. The casing 65 is provided With a chamber 70 having a tapered valve seat 71. l Y

The valve seat 71 is adapted' to be engaged by a valve 72, which seats downwardly and is carried by a stem 73, carrying at its lower end an upwardly seating valve 74 to engage the valve seat 69. A rod 75 is connected with the valve 74 and carries a head 76, operating within the tubular rod` 55, and adapted to engage with the nut 58;

A compressible coil spring 77 s arranged within the casing 53 and is held within a notch 78, and engages the ca nut 58, serving to move the diaphragm ownwardly.

The-operation of this form of apparatus is as follows:

When the valve (not shown) in the pipe 66 is open, suction is created within the casing 53, above the diaphragm, phragm rises. The valve 2 is now seated and the valve 74 unseated. The diaphragm continues to rise until the cap nut 58 contacts with the valve 74, whereby this valve is seated andlthe valve .72 unseated, thereby placing the casing above the diaphragm in communication with the atmosphere. The

and the diaspring will now move the diaphragm down- Having thus described my invention, I

claim 1. In apparatus for cleaning automobile windshields or the like, a diaphragm -casing, a diaphragm arranged within the cascasing and the atmosphere. and means actu-l ated liy the movement of the diaphragm to shift the valves.

2. In apparatus for cleaning automobile windshields or the like, a diaphragm casing, a diaphragm arranged within the casing, cleaning apparatus connected with the diaphragm to be operated thereby, a pipe adapted for connection with a suction inducing means and adapted to have communication with the diaphragm casing, a valve for controlling such communication, a second valve for controlling the communication between the diaphragm casing and the atmosphere, a stem connecting the valves, and means actuated by the diaphragm to shift the valves.

3. In apparatus for cleaning automobile Windshields or the like, a diaphragm casing, a diaphragm arranged within the easing, a reciprocatory rack bar connected with the diaphragm and having a longitudinal fopening, cleaning apparatus driven by the rack bar,l a pipe adapted for connection with a suction inducing means, and adapted to have communication with the diaphragm casing, means including a pair of valves to alternately place the pipe in communication with the ends of the diaphragm casing upon opposite sides'of the diaphragm, means including a valve to place opposite ends of the diaphragm casing'upon opposite sides of the diaphragm in communication with the atmosphere, a transverse bar connected with the valves, a link connected with the bar and projecting into the opening of the rack bar,

anda stop element, carried by the end of the link and arranged within said opening.

ing, a diaphragm arranged within the casing, a reeiprocatory rack bar connected with the diaphragm and having a longitudinal opening. a cleaning apparatus driven h v the rack bar, a valve casing connected with the diaphragm casing upon one side of the diaphragm, said valve casing having an outer chamber` an inner chamber` a port connecting Vthe outer and inner chambers and provided at its ends with valve seats, an intermediate chamber having openings leading into the outer and inner' chambers which openings ,are provided with valve seats the intermediate chamber having a port leading to the atmosphere. a pipe leading into the outer chamber and into the diaphragm casing upon the opposite side cf the diaphragm, valves arrzmged to engage the valve seats of the port connecting the outer and inner chambers and having connection to move together, a valve arranged within the intermediate chamber and adapted to engage the valve seats of the openings serving to connect the intermediate chamber with the outer and inner chambers. a transverse bar having connection with the valves, a link connected with the bar and projecting into the opening of the rack bar. and an element carried by the end of the link.

5. In apparatus for cleaning automobile windshields or the like, a mOvabIeCleaner, a diaphragm casing, a diaphragm operating within the casing and connected with the cleaner to operate it,and means whercb v the diaphragm is actuated.

In testimony whereof I aiiix in v signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM lllI'ICllEL FOLBERTI.

Witnesses: v

lVILmAM Iin'rsclnsrAN, MAXWELL FoURNxER. 

